Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



N0. 692,590. I Patented' Feb. '4, I902. W. H. BAKER &. F. E. KlP WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS (Applicmian. filed Aug. 2, 1899.) QNo Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEI IVILLIAM H. BAKER, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RIIODE ISLAND, AND FREDERIC E. KIP, OF MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 692,590, dated February 4, 1902.

Application filed August 2, 1899.

To CI/ZZZUhOW/ zit may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. BAKER, residing at Central Falls, Providence county, Rhode Island, aDd'FREDERIO E. KI'P, residing at Montclair, Essex county, New Jersey, citizens of the United States,have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weft-Replenishing Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of looms which are provided with automatic devices for supplying them withweft or filling; and the object of the invention is to provide the loom with a simple means for supplying a filled weft-carrier to the shuttle in play and to displace the empty or nearly empty weftcarrier in the shuttle whenever the weft-carrier in the latter shall be nearly denuded.

In the accompanying drawings, whiehillustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a part ofa loom, showing this invention applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is an end view of the magazine, showing the rotating devices thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view of the parts seen in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows the same parts that are seen in Figs. 1 and 3, but representing them as in the act of supplying a filled weft-carrier to a shuttle. Fig. 4is a sectional plan of the parts seen in Figs. 1 and 3 and illustrating the automatic shuttle evener. Fig. 5, illustrates another form of magazine adapted to be employed with the invention. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the weft-carrier and shuttle on a larger scale than the principal views. Fig.6 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of the shuttle and bobbin-holder. Fig. 7 is aplan of the shuttle, the bobbin therein, and the shuttlebox;and Fig. 8 is alongitudinal vertical axial section of the shuttle and bobbin.

In the construction herein illustrated the filled weft-carriers or bobbins are in a suitable magazine,which discharges one bobbin at a time into a receiver, which is situated direetly over the shuttle in the shuttle-box on the lay when the vibrating lay has beaten up. A vibratable knocker on the loom-frame is adapted when actuated by a going part of the loom-as the lay, for example-to drive the full bobbin from the receiver down into the Serial No. 725,862. (No modelshuttle and to displace and drive out the denuded bobbin therefrom.

To effect the above object, an electromagnet is adapted to put into position a tappet, which may be a hinged arm carrying the armature of said magnet, which tappet as the lay heats up will actuate said knocker and shift or change the bobbins. The exhaustion of the weft on the bobbin in the shuttle serves to permit the closure of abreakin an electric circuit, including the electromagnet,and thus excite the latter.

Referring to the principal views of the drawings, 1 represents the loom-framegenerally, and 2 the breast-beam, forminga special part of said frame. 3 is the lay; 4, one of the lay-swords 5, the swing-rail, about which the lay vibrates, and 6 is the picker-stick at that side of the loom shown in the principal views. All of these parts may be constructed and operated in substantially the ordinary way.

Figs. 1 to 4 show a construction employing an intermittently-rotatable magazine for supplying weft-carriers, and this construction will be first described.

M represents the magazine as a whole, and it consists of a drum 7, fixed on a shaft 8, which rotates in bearings in'snitable brackets 9 on the loom-frame. This drum has in its periphery a plurality of cells or pockets 10 to receive the bobbins b. To keep the bobbins from falling out of the pockets, there will be some sort of fixed casing or shield 11, partly inclosing the rotary drum 7. The drum is designed to rotate in the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 3*, and there is 'a bobbinoutlet at the front lower part of the casingor shield to permit a bobbin to roll out from the coincident cell 10 into a receiver 12, under which the shuttle-box 13 on the laycomes whenever the lay heats up. The bobbins b fit quite loosely in the pockets 10, so that they may fall out freely by gravity into the receiver 12; but the receiver, which is in the nature of a hopper open at both bottom and top, has yielding spring nippers or plates 14: at its respective ends, (seen best in Fig. 3,) which embrace the bobbin endwise and hold it with suflicient firmness to prevent it from falling through or out of the receiver by gravity. Normally there will be a bobbin in the receiver, as seen in Fig. 1.

In a suitable bracket 15 on the loom-frame is mounted a vibrating knocker 16, the head of which is normally situated just above the bobbin in the receiver, as seen in Fig. 1. This knocker has a pendent arm 17, the purpose of which will be next explained, and a suitable retracting-spring 18.

Mounted on a bracket 19 on the lay is an electromagnet 20, and also mounted on the lay is a hinged tappet-arm 21, which carries the armature 22 of the magnet. Normally the arm 21 rests on a support 19 and it may be held down bya light spring 23, as seen in Fig. 1, in which case when the lay beats up to the position seen in Fig. 1 the end of the hinged tappet-arm 21 will pass under or miss the pendent arm 17 of the knocker-16; butif the magnet 20 be excited and attract its armature 22 the tappet-arm will be lifted, and on the lay beating up it will strike the arm 17. This will cause the knocker 16 to descend suddenly and drive the bobbin 7) in the receiver down into the shuttle s in the shuttlebox 13 on the lay. The shuttle is open at top and bottom, and there is also an opening 0 through the lay, so that the entry of the full bobbin from above drives the denuded bobbin b in Fig. 3 out of the shuttle, whence it falls down into any suitable receptacle 24 on the loom-frame below.

Before explaining the construction of the shuttle and bobbins and the electrical connections it maybe well to state that the construction shown in Fig. 5 is the same, substantially, as that above described, except that the magazine M is simply an upright non-rotative holder in which the bobbins are superposed, the bottom bobbin being forced out by gravity into the receiver 12.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the construction of the bobbin and shuttle and the electrical construction. The bobbin (indicated by?) as a whole) comprises a spindle b which carries the weft w. Around the butt of the bobbin-spindle are fitted one or more (preferably two) metal bands 25, and in its end is a ring or butt-plate, of metal, 26. On the spindle is a ring or piece of metal 27, which is connected electrically with the end plate 26 by a conductor 28 of any kind. Within a slot in the bobbin-spindle is a spring-contact 29, which is secured to or electrically connected with the band or bands 25. The free end of this contact 29 tends by the resiliency of the part to spring outward into contact with the inner face of the ring or piece 27 where the latter bridges the slot; but it is held out of contact by the overwrapped weft on the bobbin-spindle, as seen in Fig. 8.

In the shuttle s, and perhaps best seen in Fig. 6, are two spring-plates, of metal, 30 30, which are preferably formed by bending the thin metal into a U shape and securing the same to the shuttle by a screw 30. (Seen in Fig. 8.) These spring-plates elastically embrace the butt of the bobbin when the latter is forced down into the shuttle and hold it quite firmly, and they contact electrically with the bands or metallic parts 25 on the bobbin. On the shuttle is also secured a springplate 31, which when the bobbin is pressed down into the shuttle comes into contact with the butt-plate or ring 26 on the bobbin.

The shuttle has on its outer face two con tact-plates, of metal, 32 and 32 which are connected electrically with the respective spring-plates 30 and 31 by suitable conductors 33 and 3 1. Thus a current may flow when the bobbin is denuded, or nearly so, from the plate 32 by conductor 33 to plate 31, thence to butt-plate 26, and thence by conductor 28 to the ring or piece 27. The spring 29 being now in contact with ring 27, the current will flow through said spring to the band or bands 25, thence to the spring-plates 30, and thence by way of conductor 34 to the contact-plate 33 When the shuttle enters the shuttlebox 13, Fig. 7, the contact-plates 32 and 32 thereon will come into electrical contact, respectively, with spring-terminals 35 and 35 on the box. These latter form terminals of an outer operating-circuit formed of conductors c and c and includes the electromagnct 20 and any generator G. It will be obvious that the moment the exhausted bobbin is driven out of the shuttle the operating-circ uit will be broken, and the spring 18 will retract the knocker 16 as soon as the way is clear. On this upward receding movement of the knocker the rotary magazine-drum 7 will be turned thereby to the extent of one cell 10. Any known means for elfecting this may be employed. The one herein shown is bestillustrated in Fig. 2, which is a View of the end of the magazine seen at the left in Fig. 3. On the shaft 8 is secured a disk or plate 18 having as many teeth on its periphery as there are cells 10, and on the bracket 16 on the knocker 16 is pivotally mounted a beveled spring-latch 16 which is adapted to engage the teeth on the disk 18 16 is driven down, the latch or pawl 16 takes undera tooth on the disk, and on the upward receding movement of the knocker the drum 7 is thereby rotated. To steady the drum when rotated and set, a yielding detent 35 on the casing 11 is so placed as to wipe over and engage a tooth on the disk 18 This means for rotating the drum 7 is in the nature of a pawl-and-ratchet device.

When a shuttle s enters the shuttle-box 13, it is important that it should always reach and occupy therein a certain position, so that the entering bobbin 1) may make proper contact at its butt through the plate 26 thereon with the spring-plate 31, Figs. 7 and 8, on the shuttle, and to insure this contact a precautionary device is employed, which is best seen in Fig. 4. This device, which we have called the shuttle-evener, comprises an arm 36, pivotally mounted on the breast-beam 2, so as to have some lateral play, and furnished When the knocker zontal plane as the shu-ttlesin the box. The.

lay carries a cam-piece 39, which projects to-' ward the breast-beam and has an inclined lateral edge, which as the lay heats up en-.

gages the stud 38 and swings the evening-arm 36 to the position seen in Fig. 4. The arm strikes the shuttle and drives it into the shuttle-box to the proper or desired extent. To insure the proper working of this device, the loom should-be so constructed that normally when at rest in the box the shuttle will not be quite-so far in the box as is desired for the reception of the bobbin 1). In Fig. 4, R represents the reed.

The end of the weft-thread on eachbobbin in the magazine will be led therefrom and attached to some point as, for example, to the pin or holder 40 on abranch from the bracket 9, supporting the magazine, as seen in Fig. 3and when the shuttle is picked the thread will be drawn automatically into a thread eye 41 in the shuttle. (Seen in Figs. '7 and 8.)

By the word bobbin as herein used'is meant any sort of weft-carrier designed to go into a shuttle.

We do not limit ourselves to the specific construction of the mechanisms herein shown, as We are well aware that these may be varied to a considerable extent Without departing materially from ourinvention; For example,

the tappet-arm 21, as herein shown, moves or 1 shifts in a vertical direction; but it may as well move horizontally.

We do not herein claim, broadly, in a weft- Y supplying mechanism a vibrating knocker for driving a bobbin-carrying Weftdown into I a shuttle on the lay, as that has been done by feet in the piece being woven.

mechanism controlled by the ordinary weft fork and hammer; but this mechanism of necessity acts only when the bobbin is wholly denuded of weft, and therefore leaves a de- Our device is controlledelectrically, and a full bobbin is supplied before the bobbin in the shuttle is wholly denuded, so that .no defect is pro duced in the piece.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1; In a loom, the combination with the vibrating lay, and the shuttle-box mounted thereon, of a rotatable bobbin-magazine, a receiver at the outlet of said magazine, to receive a bobbin delivered therefrom, a vibrat able knocker for knocking the bobbin from the receiver down into the shuttle on the lay, mechanism for vibrating said knocker at proper times,electrical means controlling said knocker-operating mechanism, and means for imparting intermittent rotary impulses to said magazlne.

2. In aloom, the combination with the vibratin g lay, the shuttle-box thereon, the magazine, and the receiver, situated over the shuttle-box when the lay is at the beating-up I point, of the pivotally-mounted knocker, having a pendent arm 17, the retracting-spring 18, the electromagnet on the lay, its armature, the hinged tappet on the lay and carrying said armature, said tappet being so mounted that when the magnet is excited the tappet is alined with the arm on the knocker, the controlling electric circuit, including said" magnet and having terminals at the shuttlebox, the shuttle having in it an electric circuit closed with the exterior circuit whenthe shuttle is in the box, and a bobbin, having in it a circuit closed with that in the shuttle when the bobbin is in place therein, said circuit in the bobbin having in it a self-closing break held open by the weft thereon.

3. In a loom, the combination with the vibrating lay, the bobbin-magazine, the vibrating knocker, the electromagnet, the tappet for actuating the knocker controlled by said magnet, and the outer circuit including said magnet and having terminals at the shuttlebox, of the shuttle, having contact-plates 32 and 32 to contact with the terminals on the box, the end spring 31 and side springs 30,- connected electrically with the respective plates 32 and 32 the bobbin, having a metal band or bands 25, which are embraced by the side springs 30, and a metal end piece 26,

the metal ring or piece 27, and the spring-terminal 29, in electric contact with the bands 25, and held out of contactwith the piece 27 by the overwrapped weft.

4. In aloom, the combination with a shuttle having two metal contact-plates, a metal plate 31, jaws 30, and conductors connecting said plate and jaws, respectively, with said contact-plates, ot. a supporting device for the weft, comprising a spindle carrying acontact-piece in metallic contact with the plate 31, a headpiece-on said spindle, a metal band or ring on said headpiece and in electrical contact with the jaws in the shuttle, anda spring-contact indicator connected electric ally with the contact on the spindle and occupying a slot in the=headpiece under the band thereon. a

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed .our names, this 14th dayof June, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I WILLIAM H. BAKER. FREDERIO- E. KIP.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM B. PH LPS,-

DAVID LJBOWERS. 

